Multiphase spring-motor.



B, CSLBERT. MULTIPHFHQE (AP-RENE MOTOR. awucnlsw man SEPT. 24 1915. REM

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MULTIPHASE SPRING MOTBR. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-24 was. RENEWED APR 15.ms.

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B C(JLBERT.

MULH 'MSE SPRING MOTOR. APPLICAYEOH mm SEPT 34, 19151 RENEWED APR. Hi,I918- .1 SHEETS SHELY mnwboc lutvnlml J uly 2, 1915,

B. COLBERT.

MULTIPHASE SPRING MOTOR. APPLICATION men szrnza. L915- n'znzwzn APR. I8.1918.

1 371,437. Patented July 2, 1918) 5 SHEETS-SHEET a. Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

marrow) comment, or PINE BLUFF, Anmmsas.

' MULT IPI-IASE seams-Moron.

Application filed September 24. 1915 Serial No. 52.501.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. BRADFORD Concern", at eitizen of the United States,residing at Pine Blufl', in the county of Jefferson and State ofArkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in MultiphascSpring-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to inulti phase spring motors. the object of theinvention being to produce a motor of the class referred to embodying aseries of energy stormg springs arranged to transmit their energy to acommon main shaft, the power of which may be utilized for any desiredpurpose.

One of the principal objects of the pres ent invention is to providenovel spring winding mechanism which is entirely automatic in operationand which will etieet the individual winding of the springssuccessively.

A further object of the invention is to provide spring winding mechanismby means of which each spring may be wound to a certain predeterminedextent only, thereby preventing the leaves or convolutions of thesprings from becoming bound; also means for disconnecting the springwinding mechanism from one sprin as soon as it has become sufficientlywoum and :immediately connecting the winding mechanism to the succeedinspring, the springs being thus successive y wound or placed undertension without interfering with any of the others which continue totransmit their energy to the main shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in connection withthe main shaft and series of energy storing springs whereby the surplusenergy of the wound or partially wound springs may be utilized to windor place under tension a spring the energy of which has been reduced toa pre determined minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide in connection with aspring motor of the class referred to, an auxiliary motor which isautomatically thrown into operation when the total energy of the springmotor has been reduced to a predetermined mininnun, said auxiliaryengine thereafter acting to rewind the springs of the spring motor.

Another object of the invention is to proide means whereby the auxiliarymotor is hrowu out of operation when the energy Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 2, 1918.

Renewed April 18, 1918. Serial No. 229,419.

of the spring motor attains a predetermined. maximum.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereindescribed, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings 2- Figure l is a longitudinal section takenthrough the spring motor of this invention in line with the main andspring winding shafts.

Fig. 2 is an. end elevation of the motor looking toward that end wherethe auxiliary motor is located.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line of Flg. 1.

Fig. 1 is a cross section on the line 44 of ig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55-of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line"7-7 of ig. 8 is a plan view. partlybroken away, in section, of the motor.

A series of energy storing convolute springs is indicated at l, 2, 3.4-, 5 and (i, said springs being shown as having their inner extremitiesattached to the main power shaft 7 of the motor. It is well to state atthis point that any desired number of springs 1, 2, 3, etc., may beemployed in accordance with the desire of the manufacturer and the'total maximum power of the engine.

Inthe preferred embodiment of this invention each of the springs,hereinahove referred to mounted within a rotary winding drum 8 and saiddrum is provided with a gear face 9 the purpose of which will prescntlyappear. T16 outer extremity of each. spring is fastened at 10 to theinside of the drum so that as the drum 8 is revolved, the respectivespring is wound from the outside and subsequently the energy of saidspring is transmitted from the inner end thereof to the shaft 7.

Parallel to the shaft 7 is a spring winding shaft 11 which has normallyloose thereon gear pinions 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 wh ch mesh with thegear faces 9 of the respective winding drums 8 for the purpose ofimparting rotary motion to said drums. The spring Winding shaft 11 isdriven continuously at a constant speed by means to be hereinafterdescribed. Each of the pinions 12 to 17 inclusive is, in the preferredembodiment of this invention, provided with a female clutch member orrim 18 adapted to be engaged by one of the clutch faces 19 and 20 of oneof a series of male clutch members 21 as clearly shown in Fig. 1, theclutch member 21 being feathered to and slidable on the shaft 11 so thatwhen moved in one direction it will engage the clutch face 13 of theadjacent pinion 12, for example, and when moved in the other directionwill onage the clutch face 18 of the adjacent pinion 13. The clutchmember :51 can only engage one female clutch member at a time. Eachclutch member 21 is shifted by the fork 22 of a rocker arm 23 which isprovided with a roller 24 which works in a cam groove 25 of a cam 26mounted fast on a cam shaft 27 parallel to the winding shaft 11 anddriven by means hereinafter described at a uniform speed. The cams 26with their cam grooves are so arranged relatively to each other alongthe cam shaft 27 that the clutch faces 19 and 20 are successively movedinto engagement with the clutch faces of the pinions 12 to 17, therebywinding the springs in series or successively.

For primarily winding the springs and storing energy therein and forsubsequently rewinding said springs after the energy thereof has beenreduced to a. predetermined minimum, I employ an auxiliary motordesignated generally at A and shown in the form of a single cylinderinternal combustion engine of comparatively low power, for example,one-half H. P. or one H. P. As the auxiliary motor A is of the ordinaryfour cycle type, being clearly illustrated in longitudinal section inFig. 1, it will only be necessary to describe the relation thereof tothe spring motor. The crank shaft 28 of the motor A has thereon a pinion29 which meshes at one side with a gear 30 which opcrates the cam shaft31 of the motor A. At the opposite side the pinion 29 meshes with alarge gear 32 fast on a clutch shaft 33 carrying a male clutch member 34which under certain conditions engages a female clutch member 35 on ashort pinion shaft 36, the clutch member 34 being feathered to the shaft33 and slidable longitudinally thereof and being normally pressed towardthe clutch member 35 by means of a coiled expansion spring 37. Theclutch member 31 is provided with a grooved collar or hub 38 which isengaged by theforked extremity of}; rocker arm 39 carrying aroller 40whichengages the cam groove 11 of a cam 42 fasten-a shaft '43 driven bymeans of a large gear 44 fast thereon and meshing with and being drivenby a pinion 45 on a counbhaft 46 driven by means hereinafter describe?Fast on the pinion shaft 36-is a pinion {7 which meshes with and drivesa large gear 48 on one end of the windin shaft 11 hereinabove described.It will t erefore now be understood thatithe power of the auxiliarymotor A. is transmitted through the connec tions described to thewinding shaft 11, the latter rotating at a comparatively low rate ofspeed as compared with the speed of the crank shaft 28 of the auxiliarymotor A and during the rotation of the shaft 11, the springs 1 to (3inclusive are successively wound in the manner liereinabove stated.

The cam shaft 27 has fast thereon a wheel 19 from which a belt or chain50 extends around a wheel'51 mounted on a short stub shaft 52, the wheel51 being driven" by a spur gear 53 having a fixed relation to the wheel51 and mounted on the same stub shaft 52, said wheel being driven by apinion 51 forming one of a train of speed reducing gears, hereinaftermore particularly described.

The train of cars 5i, 511" and 54", shown in connection witlrthc pinion51, to the right and below said pinion, serve as a speed reduction forthe shaft 43 and the cam 42, the shaft 43 being attached to the pinion54 by a sleeve or hollow shaft connection as shown.

55 designates an overrunning clutch containing hardened steel rollers 56which are adapted 'to rip the adjacent end of the winding sha 't 11 asshown in Fig. 1, said overrunning clutch 55 driven-by a pinion 57 whichmeshes with and is driven by a gear 58 in turn driven by other gears 59,60, the gen rs 59 and 61 being fast on the main shaft T 01 themotor. Agear (52 on the shaft 7 may be used to transmit power to any outsidemechanism of a lighter character, said gear 62 bearing no other relationto the mechanism of the motor proper. B generally designatestransmission gearing or gearing by means of which the speed of thedriven shaft 63 may be regulated as compared with the speed of the mainshaft 7, the said transmission gearing being of any usual or desired.construction.

All of the mechanism hereinabove described is inclosed in a casing orhousing gears, the compartment a forming a housing for the energystoring springs and the pinions and clutches for winding the same, thecompartment (1 containing the overrunning clutch mechanism, and thecompartment 6 containing the speed changing or transmission mechanism.Furthermore, the casing C is divided into a main lower and lubricantcontaining section C. and an upper section C, said sections belngtlanged and bolted together so that they may be separated from eachother to give access to the mechanism contained in the casing as awhole. Each of the drums 8 is adapted to be engaged and held when thespring thereof is fully wound by means of a pawl or defeat (58.

The operation of the mechanism hereinabove described may be set forth asfollows. Starting with the springs wound under the arrangement shown inFig. 1, it will be observed that the spring 1 is just starting to wind,the drum 8 thereof being actuated by the gear 12 and the clutch elements18 and 19. \Vhile the spring 1 is thus being wound, all of the remainingsprings are exerting their power on the main shaft 7. The shaft 7operates through the elements (31. 58 and 57 to turn the overrunningclutch 55 which grips and turns the winding shaft .11, said windingshaft 1.1 having all of the clutches 21 feathered to rotate therewith aspreviously described. The shaft 11 in turning causes the pinion T0 todrive the large spur gear 71 which in turn drives a small pinion 72meshing with a gear 73 carrying a pinion 7-1 which meshes with a gear75, the last named gear carrying the pinion 5% which meshes with thewheel 53 and causes the sprocket wheel 51 by means of the chain 50 todrive the sprocket wheel 49 and thereby the cam shaft '27. This forms areducing gear between the winding shaft 11 and the cam shaft 27 therebyproducing a very slow turning movement of said cam shaft. After this camshaft has turned through an arc of a predetermined number of degrees,the

lever is moved so as to disengage the elements 18 and 19 andthrowtheelements 1S and ZOinto engagement. This starts the winding ofthe spring 2 and releases the spring 1, the latter having beencompletely wound and then exerting its stored energy to impart rotarymotion to the shaft 7. As shown in Fig. 8, the cams 25 are arranged withtheir offsets the proper number of degrees apart to effect a successiveactuation of the levers 23s; that the springs are wound from the firstto the'last and then again rewound in the same order. After the windingshaft 11 has turned a predetermined number of revolutions, by means ofthe pinion and the large. gear 71, a pinion 76 at the center of the-gear71. a spur gear 77 on the shaft 1 .46 and the pinion 45 and gear $4above described, the shaft 13 has been turned sufficiently to cause theshoulder 41 thereof to act on the roller 40 of the clutch shiftinlever-39 thereby throwing in the clutch 3 and through the elements 33,32 and 29, starting the winding motor A. The motor now operates thr ughthe elements 30, 3'2, 33, 34, 35, 36, A and 48 to drive the a centralsection C" 11 ,"the cam shaft 27 is driven at a proper-- winding shaft11 at a relatively greater speed so that the springs 1 to 6 inclusiveare successively rewound. Simultaneously with thisfrelatively rapidrotation of the shaft 70 tionately increased speed by the reducinggearing hereinabove described and starting with the pinion 70 andfollowing through the train of gears 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, .54 ande 53,and the spring elements 51, 5O andwffl. 16 After a certain predeterminednumber of revolutions of the shafts 11 and 27. the cam 4). acts on thelever 39 to throw out the clutch 3'-i thus disengaging the windingengine-Aft from the mechanism of the spring motor. 80 While the windingengine is in operation, the overrunning clutch 55 permits the additionalspeed imparted to the shaft. 11 in the rewinding operation. i

A train of gears in the compartment a is used as means for reducing thespeet of thq cam 42. This is necessarily made in direct connection withthe winding: shaft 11 since the revolutions of the last named shaftdetermines the number of revolutions which must be given in order toeffect the winding of the springs. \Vhen the stored energy in thesprings has been rc' duced to a predetermined minimum.thishas beenaccomplished by means of the unwinding of the springs which requires anunchanging number of revolutions of the main shaft 7. By a predeterminedspeed reduction leading from the shaft 43 and cam. 12. the point11'1o1rthe cam 12 reaches its av 00 tended or projecting point, forcingthe lever 39 inward and the clutch 31 into engagement with the clutchmember or housing 353, which in turn is in positive engagement; with theshaft 36, gears 47 and 48 an'dwind ing shaft 1.1. As this connection bythe clutch Stand 35 is made. the shaftwEiij. tthe. gearsflt) and 32 arerevolved rapidly which effects the starting of the winding engine A.' Asthe engine is set in motion. power is transmitted to the shaft 11 eitherat ahigher or lower speed than the automatic arrangement abovedescribed, the overrunning clutch being used as a means of allowing a pientirely free action of the winding shaft 11. \Vhen the spring membershave agaimbeen wound to their predetermined maximun the winding engineis disengaged by the rpretletel-mined length of the point 41?.tlfylhti"; cam thus throwing the clutch uiegpbeuB-t out of engagementwith the clutchmember 35 by means of the groove 41 in the cam 42. Theengine is disconnected automatically from the spring winding shaft, asthis takes. place and is t en stopped by the operator and held inidleness until the predetermined amount of the stored energy of thesprings has again been reduced to a predetermined minimum whereupon theaction is repeated.- The ove'rrunning clutch in compartment (1."

is the medium for freeing the winding shaft 11 from the main shaft 7when the speed of the shaft 11 through the winding engine A becomesgreater than the fixed gear ratio" or brake drum 63, brake mechanismjust.

referred to being used for stopping, controlling and regulating thespeed of the main shaft 7.

It will of course be understood that/several spring motors may becombined and coupled together so that the combined power thereof ma beutilized for any desired purpose and t lat various other changes in theform, proportion and minor details of construction maybe resorted towithout departing from the principles or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a multi-phase springmotor, the combination of a main power'delivering shaft, a series ofconvolute energy-storing springs encircling said shaft arranged totransmit their stored energy to said shaft, and all positivelyconnectedat their inner extremities to the latter, a spring winding shaft, aseries of clutch members normally loose on the winding shaft and eachadapted when thrown into operation to wind its respective spring,complemental clutch members keyed to said winding shaft and slidableinto and out of engagement with. the respective clutch members, andmeans for shifting said slidable clutch members in succession.

2. In a multiphase spring motor, the com bination of a main powerdelivering shaft, a series of convolute energy-storing springsencircling'said shaft arranged to transmit their stored energy to saidshaft, and all positively connected at their inner extremities to thelatter, a spring winding shaft, a series of clutch members normallyloose on the winding shaft and each adapted when fifi'ythro'wn intooperation to wind its respective spring, com lemental clutch memberskeyed to said win ing shaft and slidable into and out of engagement withthe res ective clutch members, and means for shi ting each of .saidslidable clutch members after its mate,

has completed a predetermined number of revolutions.

3. In a multi-phase spring motor, the

combination of a main power delivering shaft, a series-of convoluteenergy-storing springs encircling said shaft arranged to transmit theirstored energ to said shaft, and all positivel connected at their innerextremities to t e latter, spring winding drums, to whi the outerextremities of said springs are attached, a spring windin shaft,normally loose pinlons on saidwind ing shaft geared to said drums toactuate the latter, and clutch mechanism for throwing said.pinions intoand out of engagement with said winding shaft.

t. In a multi-phase spring motor, the combination of a main powerdelivering shaft, a series of convolute energy-storing springs arrangedto transmit their stored ener to said shaft, spring winding drums to wich the outer extremities of said springs are attached, a spring windingshaft, normally loose pinions on said winding shaft, clutches forthrowing said pinions into and out of engagement with said windingshaft, a cam shaft parallel to the winding shaft, and rocker armsactuated in succession by said cam shaft to shift said clutches.

5. In a multi-phase s ring motor, the combination of a main sha t, aseries of energystoring springs encircling said shaft arranged totransmit their stored energy to said shaft and all positively connectedat their inner extremities to the latter, a spring winding shaft, gearsconnecting said winding shaft with the other extremities of the sprinand means operating automatically where y said main shaft expends aportion of its energy on said winding shaft in winding one spring onlyat a time.

6. In a multi-phase spring motor, the combination of amain shaft, aseries of energystoring springs encircling said shaft arranged totransmit their stored energy to said shaft and all positively connectedat their inner extremities to the latter, a spring winding shaft, gearsconnecting said winding shaft .with the other extremities of the sprinand means operating automatically where y said main shaft expends aportion of its energy on said winding shaft in winding onespring onlyata time, said means operating to cause all of the springs to be woundsuccessively.

7. Ina multi-phase s ring motor, thecombination of a main sha t, aseries of energystoring springs encircling said' shaft arranged totransmit their stored energy to said shaft and all positively connectedat their inner extremities to the latter, a sprin Winding shaft, andgears connecting sai winding shaft with the other extremities of thespring, and means 0 erating'automatically whereby said main shaftexpends a 1'- tion of its energy on said winding sha in winding onespring only at a time for a predetermined number of turns.

' 8. In a multi-phase spring motor, the combination of a main shaft. aseries of energy.

storing springs arranged to transmit their stored energy to said shaft,:1 spring winding shaft, means operating automatically whereby saidwinding shaft expends a portion of its energy in Winding one spring onlyat a time, an auxiliary spring winding n10- bor, and means whereby saidauxiliary motor is automatically thrown into operative relation to thespring winding; shaft when the total energy of the spring motor hasreached a predetermined minimum.

9. In a. multi-phase spring motor, the combination of a main shaft, aseries of energystoring springs arranged to transmit their stored energyto said shaft, a spring winding shaft. means operating automaticallyWherehy said winding shaft oxpends a portion of its energy in Windingone spring only at a time, an auxiliary spring winding motor, and meanswhereby said auxiliary motor is antoinatir-ally thrown out of operativerelationto the spring winding shaft when the energy of the spring;llIOtfll' has reached a predetermined n'iaxinnlm.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 25 in presence of twowitnesses.

BRADFORD COLBERT. Witnesses:

FRANK TEMPLE, CHAS. MoMicnAEL.

